Note that the author submitting a manuscript is the primary contact person for all editorial correspondence throughout the entire process for peer reviews and language editing processes, if applicable.

An individual may only be referred to as an author if that individual meets the criteria of the Vancouver recommendations, through:

1. Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND
2. Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND
3. Final approval of the version to be published; AND
4. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

The persons named as authors should meet all four criteria for authorship, and all who meet these four criteria should be identified as authors. Assistants who do not meet the criteria for authorship should also be acknowledged, e.g. in a note. Financial and material support should also be acknowledged.

Manuscripts generated through the use of ChatGPT or other large language models (LLMs), generative AI, or chatbots do not satisfy the journal's criteria for authorship, and AI tools cannot be listed as an author. Manuscripts must be written by persons who can account for and claim responsibility for the originality and integrity of the content. Furthermore, authors must disclose the extent to which any AI tools may have been used in preparation of written, visual or graphic elements of their manuscripts. The publisher ascribes to COPE's position statement regarding authorship and AI tools; see more information here.